Dr Jessica Freedman discusses the fundamentals of writing a medical school personal statement and provides medical school personal statement examples on how to write a good medical school personal statement
How To: Master The Med School Personal Statement
Your medical school personal statement is a crucial opportunity to show medical schools who you are as an individual, the major influences and background that have shaped your interests and values, what inspired you to pursue medicine, and what kind of a physician you envision yourself becoming. But with tight limits on space, it can be tough trying to decide what to include. So think strategically about how you want to present your personal "big picture."
When a medical school admissions reviewer finishes reading your personal statement, what are the most important things you want that person to remember about you? Does it sum up your personality, interests, and talents? Does it sound as if it's written from the heart? It's pretty obvious to most admissions reviewers when applicants are trying too hard to impress them. Being authentic and upfront about who you are is the best way to be a memorable applicant.
What Is The Medical School Personal Statement and how to write a medical school personal statement.
The medical school personal statement is the major essay portion of your primary application. In it, you should describe yourself and your background, as well as any important early exposures to medicine, how and why medicine first piqued your interest, and how you became increasingly fascinated with it. It's also key to explain why medicine is the right career for you, in terms of both personal and intellectual fulfillment, and to show your commitment has continued to deepen as you learned more about the field.
The personal statement also offers you the opportunity to express who you are outside of medicine. What are your other interests? Where did you grow up? What did you enjoy about college? Figuring out what aspects of your background to highlight is important since this is one of your only chances to express to the admissions committee before your interview what is important to you and why.
The next paragraph should be reserved for describing any post-college activities, including employment, research, volunteer work, internships, etc. Make sure you leave room for a strong, upbeat conclusion that sums up all the highlights of your pursuit of medicine, and that clearly conveys your passion for and dedication to the field.
How to write a medical school personal statement
If possible, start your statement off with an anecdote that ties into your interest in medicine. This could be a medical event that happened to you or a family member, or a patient with whom you had a special bond. Other topics include an experience that challenged or changed your perspective about medicine; a mentor or another inspiring individual; a difficult personal experience; or obstacles that you've had to overcome. Whatever it is, turn it into a mini story, and make it personal and exciting, pulling the reader into your journey immediately.
In your writing, try to balance your intellectual curiosity about the clinical and scientific side of medicine – the "hard" side of medicine – with the "soft" side, the human element. Even if your main goal is to be a physician scientist, it's absolutely critical to establish your compassion and empathy for patients, and to make it clear you can establish a connection with many different types of people. Along the same lines, it's a good idea to offer some examples of your cultural competence – your openness to the different perspectives, cultures and backgrounds your patients will undoubtedly have.
Additional medical school personal statement tips:
Related Article: Best Medical Schools by State, https://mededits.com/state-medical-school-information/
Related Article: Successful Med School Personal Statement Examples
Stand out from the crowd with these valuable tips. https://mededits.com/medical-school-personal-statement/medical-school-personal-statements-that-can-beat-52323-applications/
Related Article: How to Write: AMCAS Personal Statement, https://mededits.com/medical-school-admissions/personal-statement-amcas/
Related Article: How To: Master The Med School Personal Statement, https://mededits.com/medical-school-admissions/personal-statement/
MSAR: https://bit.ly/2PoVN7E
MedEdits Blog: https://mededits.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdits/
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2W3Q8H9
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2VX4d96
FREE Medical School Personal Statement Consultation
Free 15 minute consultation: https://mededits.com/free-15-sign-up/
Subscribe to the MedEdits' YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2u63WER
